Reaction Commerce: Pros and Cons of MeteorJS E-commerce Solution

Despite the steady growth in online sales, today only 9% of retailers have an online shop, according to Harvard Business Review. The main reasons for such statistics are the expensive maintenance of e-commerce platforms and certain technical background required from users. At the same time, technology is developing quickly, so e-commerce platforms have to be frequently updated, while using legacy techniques may lead to less traffic and worse sales.

To overcome these challenges, a team of talented Meteor developers has created Reaction Commerce. It’s a free, fast and lightweight platform designed for small- and medium-size businesses. Compared to other e-commerce frameworks, Reaction Commerce offers a set of advantages you won’t be able to resist. Here are some of them.

JavaScript Only

Reaction Commerce saves you from switching languages when you are developing or modifying your online shop, since it only requires JavaScript. Meteor developers follow the rule of keeping the code as simple as possible. Separate modules of the script may be tested apart from the whole website and used as components for new applications. That’s why Reaction Commerce is flexible and easy to adjust to various use cases and requirements.

Real-Time e-Commerce

Hot code push immediately updates the application when changes to the database are made. Customers will instantly see the changes the administrator has made and vice versa.

As for retailers, they can keep track of their business and make the necessary improvements based on the real-time statistics data. All code commuting between database, server and client is done automatically by Meteor. Not only does the Meteor e-commerce solution save a lot of time and effort for app developers, but it is also convenient for customers.

Compatibility

Reaction Commerce works great on mobile devices. With a single code base the online shop can run on both iOS and Android. It is also important that you can use any host that supports Meteor/Node.js and MongoDB. In addition, if a shop owner has decided to switch from another e-commerce platform to Reaction Commerce, they don’t have to create an online shop from scratch. There are already developed migration paths from Magento, Shopify and BigCommerce.

Simple Content Management Techniques

With techniques like drag-and-drop and text field editing, it’s easy and quick to add a new item to the online shop and update the information about it.

SEO

Iron-Router, Kadira Flow Router and Dochead are the tools used for SEO implementation:

Iron-Router conducts both server- and client-side routing, and sets proper titles for each site/document/URL.

Kadira Flow Router provides client-side routing only.

Kadira Dochead adds meta objects.

Reaction Commerce also supports Spiderable Package. It sets all the meta data for the user, but it isn’t set up by default.

Applications Gallery

Reaction Commerce is a fully functional e-commerce platform with features like one page checkout, PayPal integration, flat rate tax management, social media integration, localization packages and more. Just with a simple click a user can activate the necessary application. Applications function in real time. On top of that, Meteor apps can update the online shop automatically. First, they analyze various factors like demand on certain products, client’s current location, weather conditions and other. Then the products get arranged to match clients’ preferences and needs from top to bottom.

Reaction Commerce is a relatively new e-commerce platform in the beta stage of development which has its own drawbacks and limitations. For example, you can customize themes to emphasize the uniqueness of each shop, but users will still get templated online shops with similar structure. Unlike Magento, WooCommerce and other popular e-commerce platforms, Reaction Commerce is still under development, and for now there are few plugins available. Currently, paid premium plans are being developed considering specific client’s needs and requirements.

Despite the drawbacks mentioned, Reaction Commerce is a simple, convenient platform and a worthy alternative to traditional e-commerce platforms. Feel free to contact us if you need any assistance with your Meteor-based online shop or MVP for the online marketplace app.